I'd really let my EDC get pretty dull... my bad. So last night I decided that it needed the full treatment.
I don't measure my angles any more, instead, when using the DMT Aligner just set it to it's lowest setting. Combined with my Benchmade 710 Axis-Lock, it's somewhere between 16-18 degrees... A bit shallow for a large-bladed folder, but I rarely do any heavy cutting with it, so that setting lasts a good long time when properly maintained with a strop.
I have five different diamond stones for the Aligner; Ex-coarse, Coarse, Fine, Ex-fine, and Ex-ex-fine. I loaded up a good movie on the screen, put the Ex-coarse stone in the holder, put a Sharpie mark on the edges, and went to work. Twenty minutes into the movie I switched to the next stone and re-applied the Sharpie, another 15 minutes, another stone, ten more minutes, another, and 5 minutes with the last stone. Then it was time for the polishing films. These need to be used edge-trailing, and with a bit more care, so I turned off the movie and paid attention to not losing my fingers.
I have films for 2,000 - 4,000 - 8,000 - 10,000 - and 15,000, and by wrapping them around the stone mounted in the holder, continued to hone the edge. I guess I spent about another 20 minutes using the 2,000 grit film, then quickly went through all the films, and then moved to a shell cordovan horsehide bench strop for another 5 minutes.
I'd post a picture of this knife but if you look at this edge, your eyeballs will bleed...
With regular stropping on bare horsehide, I probably won't need more for a couple of months. Then I'll start stropping on Chromium Oxide on cased cowhide (followed by bare horsehide) for a few more months. I shouldn't need stones again until maybe Christmas time...
This is one of the older Benchmade 710's, made from ATS34. I really like the way it holds an edge.
I don't measure my angles any more, instead, when using the DMT Aligner just set it to it's lowest setting. Combined with my Benchmade 710 Axis-Lock, it's somewhere between 16-18 degrees... A bit shallow for a large-bladed folder, but I rarely do any heavy cutting with it, so that setting lasts a good long time when properly maintained with a strop.
I have five different diamond stones for the Aligner; Ex-coarse, Coarse, Fine, Ex-fine, and Ex-ex-fine. I loaded up a good movie on the screen, put the Ex-coarse stone in the holder, put a Sharpie mark on the edges, and went to work. Twenty minutes into the movie I switched to the next stone and re-applied the Sharpie, another 15 minutes, another stone, ten more minutes, another, and 5 minutes with the last stone. Then it was time for the polishing films. These need to be used edge-trailing, and with a bit more care, so I turned off the movie and paid attention to not losing my fingers.
I have films for 2,000 - 4,000 - 8,000 - 10,000 - and 15,000, and by wrapping them around the stone mounted in the holder, continued to hone the edge. I guess I spent about another 20 minutes using the 2,000 grit film, then quickly went through all the films, and then moved to a shell cordovan horsehide bench strop for another 5 minutes.
I'd post a picture of this knife but if you look at this edge, your eyeballs will bleed...
With regular stropping on bare horsehide, I probably won't need more for a couple of months. Then I'll start stropping on Chromium Oxide on cased cowhide (followed by bare horsehide) for a few more months. I shouldn't need stones again until maybe Christmas time...
This is one of the older Benchmade 710's, made from ATS34. I really like the way it holds an edge.
